Water Gremlin had been making fishing sinkers since 1949. Decades of heritage, a genuinely great product, and a cute little mascot that fishermen had known for years. But the brand had gone quiet. Market share was slipping. And in a category where attention is everything, Water Gremlin had stopped getting any.

They didn't need a new brand. They needed to rediscover the one they already had—and be brave enough to express it.

Starting with identity.

Before anything was redesigned or rewritten, we dug into what made Water Gremlin genuinely special. Not just the product—the character. The brand had something most companies would kill for: a mascot with real personality potential, sitting dormant in the logo. A gremlin. Mischievous. A little irreverent. The kind of character that could make a grown fisherman smile and a kid beg their parent to pick the one with the funny guy on the package.

That was the identity. It had been there all along. It just needed someone to take it seriously.

Bringing the identity to life.

With that clarity established, the creative direction was obvious—and a little bit fun. We turned the gremlin into the company’s full-time spokesperson, giving him a slightly snarky, irreverent personality that matched the brand’s heritage while appealing to a modern audience. Not trying to be something new. Being more fully what Water Gremlin had always been.

From there, the work spread across everything—a redesigned website and packaging, print and digital ad campaigns, in-store signage, and a full suite of marketing materials. All of it consistent. All of it recognizably Water Gremlin.

The sales team finally had tools they were proud to put in front of buyers. And the gremlin had a voice worth listening to.

The result.

After years of stagnant growth, Water Gremlin came back to life. The fresh brand and personality reconnected the company with its audience, gave the sales team what they needed to expand into new stores and markets, and took the marketing to a level the company hadn't seen in years.

Sometimes the best brand work isn’t creating something new. It’s finding what was already there—and finally letting it out.